Harry Potter 8, Chapter One
by Sierra-Odair
Summary: Harry potter 8 novel length Second Generation.


_1_

_Rose craned her head, on tiptoes, peering over the heads of others in front of her, looking for her cousins and friends._

"_It's okay," her mother said. "You'll see them on the train."_

_Rose sighed. "I know," she said, "but I need to tell Daniella something…"_

_Rose turned back to her mother and gave her a quick hug. She was almost as tall as her now. They looked very similar in their features, with one exception: while her mother's hair was brown and bushy, Rose's hair was bright red and straight. Her brother Hugo had brown hair, but freckles like his father, and had big teeth like their mother._

"_Love you, Mum," she said. "C'mon, Hugo!"_

_Rose took her trolley, pushing through the crowds of people. She heaved it up into a compartment, but the ledge got stuck. No matter how much she pulled, she couldn't get it up. Hugo had run off in the other direction, who had appeared to have found their cousin Lily along the way, and she just caught sight of her mother walking back through the barrier. She still didn't see James or Albus; they must have already boarded the train. _

_Rose heaved a great sigh and pulled harder._

"_Need help?"_

_Rose's head snapped up to find a boy with platinum blonde hair, green eyes, and a pointed nose staring back at her._

"_Scorpius…?"_

_Scorpius, she knew, was a Malfoy. The Malfoys had once been a great supporter of Lord Voldemort, a dark wizard who had attempted to take over the Wizarding Socioty, then the Muggle one, too. But when Narcisa Malfoy had faked Harry Potter's death (Harry Potter just so happened to be Rose's uncle), they were forgiven and were not sent to Azkaban, the Wizarding Prison._

_Scorpius was the son of Draco Malfoy, and whenever the Malfoys' name came up at home, Rose's father would go rigid, his expression stony. Even her mother would purse her lips. They tried to avoid that subject._

_The youngest Malfoy, Gary, was a Slytherin going into his second year, a naturally evil little brat. He loved to pick on Rose's cousin, Lily, especially. _

_But Scorpius wasn't like his family. He was quiet, studious, and didn't like attention drawn to himself. He didn't have any friends._

_He was also the only Malfoy ever to not_ be in Slytherin. He was in Ravenclaw.

Although Rose knew Scorpius hadn't done anything offensive to him, her cousin James hated Scorpius. By taunting him, he thought it was a good way to get back at his younger brother Gary, for making his little sister Lily cry frequently.

Scorpius took it.

Rose didn't have anything personally against him (although she hated Gary), but she would surely be in trouble with James if she was caught talking to him, and if her father caught word of it, he probably wouldn't talk to Rose for over a year.

Rose threw back her hair, defiantly, making up her mind.

"Sure," she said.

Scorpius smiled nervously, and grabbed onto Rose's trunk. Together, they heaved it up the steps. Scorpius then took up his own, easily hefting it up.

They stood there awkwardly for a moment, and Rose muttered, "Thanks."

Scorpius half smiled, unsure.

"Erm, I'm Scorpius, by the way…" He held out a hand.

Rose took it, timidly, shaking it. "Rose, Rose Weasley."

Scorpius's hand dropped by his side, and he swung it back and forth, nervously.

"Well, thanks for the help…" Rose trailed off. The train lurched into action, and Rose put her foot backwards to steady herself.

Scorpius nodded, shoulders hunched, and walked away again. Rose stared after him, wondering weather she should go after him. Then,

"Rose, we've been looking for you _everywhere," _said an exasperated voice. Rose turned to find Daniella, Albus and Connor walking towards her. "C'mon, we've got a compartment."

Rose fake-smiled. "Help me with my trunk?"

Connor and Albus hurried forward, and Rose glanced over her shoulder, just in time to watch a compartment door slide closed.

"Who are you looking at?" Daniella, Rose's best friend, demanded.

Rose shook her head. "Nobody."

Daniella peered at her, one eyebrow raised, but finally she just rolled her eyes and said, "Whatever."

The feast that night after the Sorting was grand; the master of Hogwarts, a jubilant old man of Slytherin, named Professor Slughorn, wished them a merry school year, then announced, "I'm hungry, and if I don't get some food soon, I won't be a very happy Professor. So let's eat!"

It was Rose's fourth year at Hogwarts, so she wasn't surprised as the previously empty plates piled up with food. The new first years, however, oohed and aahed at the sight. Daniella took the food delightedly; however, Rose only picked at her fruit salad, puzzled. She stared over at the Ravenclaw table, and saw that most of them gave Scorpius a wide berth. One older boy attempted conversation with him, but she watched as his friend elbowed him, and the boy turned away from Scorpius, pretending to be in deep conversation with another Ravenclaw.

"They've outdone themselves this year," Connor said, brining Rose's attention back to her friends. "Those 'ouse elves are really a' it." His mouth was stuffed with potatoes, and it was hard to understand him. Rose rolled her eyes.

"You say that _every _year, Con," Daniella said, swishing her blonde hair back over her shoulder, clearly agreeing with Rose. Connor's eyes widened.

"But I mean it, this time!"

Rose shook her head, and Albus laughed. All of a sudden, Rose was punched in the arm, and she turned around, an angry outburst on her lips.

"How's it going with my favorite cousin?"

The retort died in her throat, and she smiled at James.

"Great, how about you?"

James ran a hand through his hair, and squeezed in between Rose and a sixth year.

"Great," he said, grinning. "Eric and I are planning a big bang for the new first years tonight."

Rose laughed. "Don't you think it's a bit early to start scaring them like that?"

James smiled even bigger at this. "They've gotta start learning while they're young, Rose, don't you know that?"

"Well, nothing to big, or your mum'll have your kneck."

"Oh, come _on. _Uncle George has done worse."

"He said himself that you'd give him a run for his money."

"Yeah, but don't you remember that story he's always telling us, the one where they escaped on brooms when that Umbridge gal tried to take over? All the fireworks?"

Rose considered this for a moment. "Just don't scare them out of their minds," she repeated, and James smiled, glad of her approval.

"Great. Well, Eric and I've got to start setting up. Melissa, that new prefect girl, she fancies me. She gave me the password to the tower." He smiled ruefully again. "See ya."

Then he bounced up out of his seat, where he met Eric, and they hurried out of the Great Hall unnoticed for all the sounds and boisterous activities.

Rose finished her food, forcing herself not to think of Scorpius.

That night, when she and Daniella had climbed the staircase into the girl's dormitories, they heard many screams from downstairs; no doubt James and Eric had scared them half to death. Then there came yelling; Rose knew the Prefects were probably telling them off, and trying to calm the first years.

"Those boys," Daniella mumbled as they climbed into bed, "they'll get expelled."

Venice, their fellow fourth year Gryffindor, a jealous (and slightly overweight) girl, poured herself a cup of water from the silver tank in the room. "They should," she sniffed. "They deserve it."

"Oh come off it," Rose snapped. "Just because James _or _Eric won't date you doesn't give you the right to hate on them."

Venice flushed a deep purple shade at this, then sniffed and walked back to her bed. Daniella laughed loudly, and Rose smirked. Then they heard Melissa the Prefect yell, "Lights out! Time to go to bed!" and they all crawled into their four-posters. Rose closed her eyes and immediately fell asleep.

2

At breakfast in the Great Hall the next morning, Professor McGonagall passed out their class schedules.

"We 'ave Herbology with P'fssr Longbott'm at two thirty," Connor said, his mouth (as usual) stuffed with food. Daniella looked at him with disgust.

"I don't understand why you don't just swallow before you talk!" she said indignantly.

"I don't understand how he says so skinny when he eats that much," Rose muttered.

"'Ey!" Connor said indignantly.

"I have Muggle Studdies at eight this morning. Charms is at nine, and right after that is Transfiguration. Then lunch," Rose continued, "then Double potions with the Ravenclaws, Herbology, and DADA. Tomorrow is pretty much the same, except instead of Muggle Studdies, Albus, Connor and I have Care of Magical Creatures, again with the Ravenclaws, and Daniella, you have Ancient Runes."

"Why do you take that, anyway?" Daniella asked Rose.

"What, Muggle Studdies?"

"She takes it to please Grandpa Weasley," Albus supplied. "He was always fascinated by them-collected plugs."

Connor, who had come from a Muggle mother, snorted into his food.

"_Plugs? _As in the _electricity _kinds? You've got to be kidding with me."

Rose smirked and shook her head. "Nobody else wanted to do it. I didn't want to upset him… so that's what I did."

Daniella rolled her eyes. "You better go then. We haven't got anything. But… you don't want to be late for _Muggle Studies,_ now would you, Rose?"

Albus and Connor began to laugh loudly, and Rose left the Great Hall, feeling slightly amused.

The last place Rose expected to run into Scorpius Malfoy was Muggle Studdies. Yet, when she walked into the classroom, there he was, sitting silently in the back of the room, quill and parchment laid out on the desk.

Rose hesitated. Everybody had already taken their seats, and there didn't seem to be anywhere else to sit.

"All right, everybody take your seats!" the Professor called. "You too, Rose."

Rose took a breath, went to the back of the class and sat down next to Scorpius. She smiled at him to be polite, and he nodded back, then they turned their attention back to the teacher, who had started to lecture them on electricity.

"Two foot long essay on Animagi, I can't believe her!" Connor fumed after they had gotten out of Transfiguration, pushing his slightly long, brown hair out of his eyes.

Rose shook her head. They all knew McGonagall hadn't asked for too much; Connor was just hungry, and he'd be fine once he'd had his lunch.

They hurried down to the Great Hall, where Connor spotted his favorite (potato salad), and muttered, "Thank God." He then proceeded to stuff his face with food, shoveling bite after bite into his mouth, not noticing that he hadn't even swallowed his last mouthful.

Daniella had said something particularly funny about a Muggle car hitting a certain tabby cat with odd markings around her eyes, and Rose started to bust up, when Scorpius had walked into the Great Hall. Rose's laugh died, and she frowned as he (again) took a seat alone at the Ravenclaw table.

"What?" Daniella demanded, looking slightly offended that Rose wasn't still laughing. She caught Rose's line of sight, and saw Scorpius. She laughed mirthlessly. "Oh, that old Scorp. Yeah, he always sits alone. Odd bloke, never made any friend; no surprise there," she added, turning back to her food. "He's weird. Like… _weird."_

Rose frowned, and began to express her doubts, but thought better of it. Al was sitting right across from her, and he tended to not know exactly when to keep his mouth shut about certain things. The fact that Rose was defending Scorpius might get back to James, who would definitely be angry.

"Rose, Rose!" a voice cried from behind her. Hugo literally ran into Rose, making her knock her mushroom sandwich onto Daniella, who cried out, "Oh now I'm going to have to get changed!"

"Rose," Hugo said breathlessly, "Lily's crying again; I think that Gary said something to her."

Rose and Albus exchanged dark glances, then they got up, slinging their bags over their shoulders, and followed Hugo quickly out of the Great Hall.

They found Lily in the Trophy Room, twirling her wand in her fingers, her eyes red and puffy.

"Go get James," Rose told Hugo quietly; he nodded and turned back. Rose heard his quick footsteps fading.

Rose went in, kneeling down by Lily.

Rose ran up the stairs after James.

"You give that back!" she yelled. "James, give it here!"

James laughed boisterously, stopping on the second floor landing, staring at Rose as she raced up the stairs. He was holding the box she'd just received by owl.

"Who's it from, Rosie?"

"Don't call me that, James, and give it back!" Rose snarled.

"Let's see what's inside, shall we?"

But Rose had reached the landing, and she lunged at James, pulling out her wand. He was surprised, but his face showed it only for a second. Then he sneered, "You can't use magic outside of Hogwarts, Rosie."

"_Give it here!"_

James laughed. "There is _no _way that is happening. Who's it from?"

Rose flushed as red as her hair, and James smiled gleefully. "Rosie's got a boyfriend!" he taunted loudly.

"Be _quiet!" _she hissed.

Rose lunged at James again, and he sidestepped her.

"Who is it, then, Rosie? Is it Will? Carson?"

Rose didn't answer, but stood on the landing, glaring at him.

"Connor? Weylin?"

Rose didn't answer again, and James took taken aback. "It's not _Marcus, _is it? Everybody knows he's-well…" James trailed off. "Gay," he said in an undertone, obviously afraid of his mother hearing him.

"It's nobody you need to know of, James, now give it _back_," Rose snapped angrily.

James rolled his eyes, tossing her the package.

"If he's not in Gryffindor, I'll personally kill you," he said over his shoulder as he walked down the steps. Rose watched him go, clutching the small present in her palm.

James turned around. "Ravenclaw's aren't that bad, I'll give it to them. But if it's that Pervic boy, you'll be in trouble."

Rose clenched her teeth together.

"I swear, I'll find out who it is. You'll tell me, or I'll figure it out myself."

"I've no doubt about that," Rose said loudly. "But you may not _want _to know."

James looked puzzled. Then he shook his head. "I will."

Rose bit her lip as James turned away again, going back down the stairs.

Rose ran down a flight of stairs to Lily's room, which they were sharing for the week preceding the train trip back to Hogwarts


End file.
